In celebration of its 60th anniversary, iconic British brand and inventor of the lava lamp, Mathmos, has collaborated with global music legends Duran Duran on a limited edition of its classic design, the Astro lava lamp.

The association of these two beloved British luminaries will come as no surprise to their respective fans and industries, with the names Duran Duran and Mathmos having both been derived from the cult 1969 film Barbarella; and the band having written and released the track “Lava Lamp” on their “Pop Trash” album in 2000.

The limited edition Mathmos x Duran Duran Astro lava lamp has a sleek silver metallic silhouette when turned off. Transformed when switched on, the constantly changing pink lava seems to magically glow through the metallised glass.

The signature of each of the four band members has been etched into the cap of the Astro lava lamp, and one of Duran Duran’s early logos has been inscribed to the base. Reflecting the band’s musical roots, the Mathmos x Duran Duran lava lamp has a black and white dog’s tooth lead, commonly used for plugging guitars into amplifiers, with a translucent switch and plug.

Duran Duran and Mathmos have created a silver and pink box for the lava lamp, featuring images of the band and the same retro logo, this time in the brilliant pink of the lava.

“There is something magical about the lava lamp, hence it has endured through many generations of modern design to become widely acknowledged as a genuine classic. During the late nineties we were making a Duran Duran album in our London studio, where several lava lamps enhanced the ambience. For this particular project we were focusing our lyrical themes on pop culture, and were actually inspired to write a song entitled ‘Lava Lamp’!  So, when Mathmos approached us to design something bespoke to celebrate their special anniversary, we were thrilled by the idea. We have very much enjoyed the process of developing this limited-edition piece, using the instantly recognisable silhouette, but adding a unique Duran Duran twist to create the Astro lava lamp, where its sleek metallic finish transforms into a mesmerising vibrant pink. It was an honour to work with this iconic brand and to become a part of the ever-evolving lava lamp story”, said Duran Duran co-founder and keyboardist, Nick Rhodes.

“Working with one of the all-time greatest rock bands has been a unique experience for Mathmos, and we have loved the process” said Mathmos CEO Cressida Granger. “From our shared love of sci-fi to a mutual passion for creativity, we have worked to create a really special lamp that evokes the fun energy that the band brings to everything that they do. We hope that Astro fans will love it as much as we all do.”

This brilliant edition is limited to 600; each numbered with a security sicker under the base.

Founded in 1963 by British inventor, entrepreneur and eccentric, Edward Craven Walker, Mathmos has been led by Cressida Granger since 1989. From its manufacturing base in Dorset, Mathmos has produced and sold millions of its iconic lava lamps globally, gaining a host of awards and a cult following along the way. The Astro was the first lava lamp launched in 1963 and designed by Edward Craven Walker, and it has been in continuous British production since its launch. The Mathmos Astro lava lamp is part of several museum collections and is widely recognised as a pop design classic.

Now, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, Mathmos has chosen five collaborators to create bespoke limited edition Astro lava lamps, announcing a limited-edition partnership weekly throughout October.

Mathmos chose creative collaborators who they felt would each bring something new to the classic Astro. Collaborators were selected from the worlds of design, music, and photography. Mathmos is proudly British and European, so collaborators from the UK and continental Europe were chosen.

Each collaboration is strictly limited to 600 pieces, and each piece is numbered. Each lamp will be £130 / 150EU, including delivery, and available exclusively from Mathmos.

Mathmos ships the lava lamps fresh from its factory in Poole, Dorset directly to customers all over Europe from their 10 European websites, see www.mathmos.com

Mathmos lava lamps are widely collected and make fantastic gifts, so move swiftly to secure these unique pieces.

Press information
For further press information, press loans and high-res images please contact:

The Design Collective
Amy Dollamore | amy@thedesigncollective.co.uk | 07855 527 217
Susanna Joicey-Cecil | susanna@thedesigncollective.co.uk | 07919 221 124

ABOUT Duran Duran

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® in 2022, Duran Duran have sold north of 100 million records around the world in addition to scoring 18 American chart hits and 21 Top 20 UK smashes. Their various awards and accolades have included eight Lifetime Achievement Awards, two GRAMMYs® , two Ivor Novellos, two BRIT Awards (including “Outstanding Contribution to Music” in 2004), and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They penned the only James Bond theme to reach #1 in the US, while David Lynch helmed their outstanding concert film (“Duran Duran: Unstaged”) in 2014. You can hear them sampled in songs by everyone from The Notorious B.I.G. to 5 Seconds of Summer, and in reverent covers by Muse, Deftones, and more. ‘Rio’ has claimed spots on Q’s “100 Greatest British Albums,” NME’s “100 Greatest Albums of All Time,” and Pitchfork’s “Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.” Summing up their enduring impact, Vanity Fair proclaimed, “Duran Duran’s always been about constant innovation and the ‘new’.” Given a penchant and flair for fashion, rock music never looked the same after their emergence either. Their impact as style icons has been well-documented by WWD, Vogue, and more.

In between selling out shows worldwide, Duran Duran are now looking ahead to the release of their 16th studio album Danse Macabre, due out on October 27th, in time for Halloween.